Anatolian Shepherd Dog Breed

The Anatolian Shepherd Dog

The Anatolian Shepherd Dog is a breed of dog that has a deep origin in Anatolia, which is in central Turkey. These canines have no relation to the german shepherd. After a while, this breed was further developed in America. The Anatolian Shepherd Dog is also known as the Karabash, which is Turkish for “blackhead.” With its amazing strength, impressive eyesight, and exceptional hearing, the Anatolian Shepherd Dog makes an excellent guardian of its flock. This breed is even capable of taking down horses, wolves, and even lions.

The Anatolian Shepherd Dog comes from a long history of origins as an ancient guardian. The breed most likely comes from the Tibetan mastiff and Roman Mollosian war dogs that came to Turkey over four thousand years ago. They were proved important as great defenders of livestock against frightening predators like wolves and bears. They escorted the nomadic shepherds and grew throughout a large region which explains the breed’s wide variety of size, color, and coat type. However, there were some traits of the Anatolian Shepherd Dog that seemed to be consistent throughout all types: faithfulness, independence, and toughness. While the breed is called a Shepherd, it is somewhat misleading because the Anatolian Shepherd Dog was never a herder. This breed of dog came to America in the 1950’s. Even though it was praised for its talent in guarding livestock against coyotes and other intimidating predators, it remained quite unknown to most dog enthusiasts. It was not until the late 1970s and 1980s that the Anatolian Shepherd Dog began to gain more recognition and appreciation. Owners valued the dog’s utilitarian traits as opposed to its appearance. The Anatolian Shepherd Dog grew in popularity as it slowly began to show that owners desired a loyal companion and faithful guardian more than a dog based on appearance. It was not until 1996 that the Anatolian Shepherd Dog was accepted into the AKC Miscellaneous class. Soon after this, it was acknowledged in the Working Dog Group. Now, enthusiasts of the breed are most proud of their Anatolian Shepherd Dog’s working attributes that are superior to many other dog breeds.

The Anatolian Shepherd Dog is an extremely muscular dog breed. This breed has a particularly sturdy body, thick neck, and a broad head. The Anatolian Shepherd Dog has triangular drop ears and lips that are tight to their muzzle. Males of this breed stand at about 26 to 31 inches tall, while the females measure at about 27 to 30 inches in height. This breed of dog weighs in around 90 to 150 pounds. The females tend to weigh in on the lower side of that scale, while the males weigh in on the upper side of the weight range. The Anatolian Shepherd Dog’s coat can be a variety of colors. However, the most common colors seen on this breed are white cream, white with large colored spots (which only cover about 30 percent of the body), and sesame colored. These colors are sometimes accompanied by a black mask and ears, also known as piebald. The Anatolian Shepherd Dog has an extremely thick double coat that can be very wiry. The coat needs to be brushed at least once or twice a week in the warm weather months because of excessive shedding. The Anatolian Shepherd Dog has awfully thick hair on its neck to provide protection for their throat. This breed of dog is often seen with docked tails, but intact tails are also common. The Anatolian Shepherd Dog is a naturally thin breed of animal and has a large rib cage accompanied by a small stomach. Ironically, this breed of dog looks much heavier than it actually is because of its extremely thick coat.

The Anatolian Shepherd is a very serious and obedient dog. It is loyal to its family and takes its responsibility of protecting its family very seriously. This breed of dog can be very defensive and takes suspicion of strangers. It will guard its family, but never go looking for trouble. With its role of a strict guard dog, it tends to bark a lot when it becomes suspicious. Even though it is strict, this breed of dog can also be quite relaxed and calm. It is good with children, but may not have the level of playfulness that they need.

The Anatolian Shepherd must get ample amounts of exercise every day, whether by a long walk or a brisk run outside. It can survive living outside in mild to cold climates. However, it needs to be close to its family and would rather be indoors if that is where his family is. Maintaining its coat is relatively easy, as it only needs one weekly brushing to get rid of dead hair.

The Anatolian Shepherd has a life span of ten to thirteen years. This is about the average life span of a purebred dog in general. However, for the size of the Anatolian Shepherd Dog, it has a much longer life span compared to other breeds in its size range. Other breeds that are about the same size as the Anatolian Shepherd Dog normally have a life span of about six to eight years. So, a ten to thirteen year life span is pretty impressive for a breed of this size. The biggest health concern associated with this breed is CHD. A more minor health concern for the Anatolian Shepherd Dog is entrapping. According to research, the leading cause of death for this breed is cancer. The two causes of death that follow shortly after cancer are cardiac problems and just general old age. It is also important to note that the Anatolian Shepherd Dog is sensitive to barbiturate anesthesia. It is suggested that this dog gets hip and eye tests in order to keep its health in check.

Overall, the Anatolian Shepherd Dog is a great breed all around. With its exceptional strength, fantastic eyesight, and phenomenal hearing, it is easy to understand why the Anatolian Shepherds make extremely successful guard dogs. This breed’s sturdy and hefty body proves that it can take down even the largest predator. While these characteristics make the Anatolian Shepherd Dog a great guard dog, these traits also have a positive influence on its personality as a pet. The Anatolian Shepherd Dog is becoming more and more popular as a house pet, clearly due to its amazing loyalty and protective qualities over its family. Throw in an overall desirable health record and you have yourself a great, well-rounded dog.

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